"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." Philippians 4:4

Begin your time with God in prayer:

Praise God for who He is. Confess any sin so that nothing blocks your fellowship with Him. Ask God to use the Spirit and the Word to transform your life. Yield your will to God’s will.

Let God’s Word penetrate your head and your heart:

The secret to benefitting from stress is learning to manage it. James helps us to learn how to do that in the following verses.

James 1:2-4 - Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

What are we to do when we face trials (vs. 2)?

What does the testing of our faith produce (vs. 3)?

When we live steadfast lives for Christ, what is the result (vs. 4)?

God uses stressful times to conform us to the image of Christ and bring us to maturity. When godliness and maturity become our goal, we can face our stress with joy, knowing that God is using it to perfect us.

Apply God’s Word to your life:

What stress or trial are you facing today?

In what way might God be using this trial to help you to be more steadfastly committed to Him?

What fleshly responses to stress does God want to purge from your life?

What godly responses can you replace them with?

Trials, when faced with God, can be a source of joy. God brings our fleshly and ungodly responses to the surface so that we can replace them with godly ones.

Father, I praise You for being good, loving, kind and just. Forgive me for all the times I have whined about my trials and stress. Help me to count it all joy when I face stressful situations today. Let them produce steadfastness in my life. Help me to cling to Your Word and allow You to make me perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Amen.

Related verses to meditate on:

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

1 Peter 1:6-7 - In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 17:3 - The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.